A crackling, tongue-searing, confectionary thrill ride. Join a chef assassin who stirs bubble universes like pots, a starship pilot who set fire to her home world, and a tiny arsonist who doesn't like getting his fur wet. All set in a multiverse boiling with gorgeous strangeness and heart-stopping wonder. No one does it like Essa Hansen. Blood-soaked joy from start to finish.
Unpredictable and strikingly unique, Azura Ghost is science fiction without any limits to its imagination. Genre-breaking brilliance!
Essa Hansen's spectacular imagination is on full display in her third novel: ethereal ships ride bursting bubble universes, all-powerful siblings battle for the soul of the universe, and ancient alien genetics fuel the machines of war. Her work is catnip for dedicated readers of thought-provoking science fiction.
Parallel universes pop like champagne bubbles in the fizzy and frenetic final space opera of Hansen’s Graven series. … Not for the uninitiated, this outing takes a cosmic perspective, rapidly oscillating between distant pasts and wild futures with Caiden and his friends often caught in the turbulent temporal shifts. Luckily, a deeply human spark of loyalty among the fighters keeps the chill of the multiverse from freezing out its readers. This proves a worthy finale.
Multiple points of view allow readers to delve into their beliefs and traumas, creating a character-driven story across space and time. The final book of “The Graven” trilogy, after Azura Ghost, digs deep into the multiverse, along with themes of genocide, utopian idealism, and autonomy.
Hansen doesn't just build worlds, she engineers fresh universes, weaves depth into incredibly charismatic characters, and balances kick-ass combat scenes with galactic stakes. Ethera Grave pulls it all together and absolutely nails the landing. It'll tear your heart up in all the best ways.
Hansen takes us back to her foaming multiverse, but this time with space chefs and rogue pilots in a tightly paced survival story that's half Battle Royale and half Delicious In Dungeon.
Casthen Gain is a cosmic smorgasbord of immersive storytelling, fiercely unique. Not unlike the author’s main character, a trailblazing culinarian, Essa Hansen serves up bold treat after bold treat, marinating all the senses, her evocative prose only matched by her unfettered worldbuilding.
Casthen Gain bursts with heart, creativity, and every flavor imaginable (and some beyond imagination). It's like a 3-Michelin-Starred menu of alien landscapes, gripping action, and culinary technology so advanced it might as well be magic. You'll be starving for the ending and stuffed with satisfaction.
Nophek Gloss’s sequel brings back all of the incredible characters that revolve around a young man coming into his power. An exciting science fiction story that keeps readers guessing the true intentions of everyone. (*Starred Review*)
Intriguing metaphysical concepts, more fast-paced action, and a climactic revelation regarding Caiden’s mysterious genetic heritage will have fans eager for the next book in the Graven series. (*Starred Review*)
A work of dazzling imagination, lyrically written, and shot through with deep empathy. A triumph in every sense.
Essa Hansen is one of the most imaginative authors in science fiction today, and in Azura Ghost she delivers a thrill ride of a story.
Hansen’s marvelous debut is a fast-paced, action-filled ride through the multiverse, introducing a complex found family of gender- and neurodiverse characters. (*Starred Review*)
The Graven trilogy is now complete!
The final book in The Graven trilogy, Ethera Grave, released July 2023. The trilogy starts on a personal scale, in limited dimensions and with harder sci-fi technology… and culminates in a multidimensional and metaphysical finale with multiple character points of view. I’m proud of completing this and owe huge gratitude to all the readers, reviewers, and publishing professionals who supported this series through the pandemic and much other turbulence.
What’s next?
My next release is a standalone prequel novella set in the world of The Graven trilogy, far in the past but with an all new cast. A wayward culinarian finds himself dropped into a battle royale across the strangest and most dangerous planet in the multiverse, forced to hunt for an eons-buried mystery or die trying. This story dives deep into a fun aspect of the bubble multiverse: how materials transform from one universe to another…specifically from the perspective of a chef! Head to the Casthen Gain page for more.
Events & MEDIA
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Blog Interview with Winter is Coming
I’m honored to have chatted with the wonderful Daniel DeVita for Winter is Coming, in an exclusive (and spoiler free) interview covering The Graven trilogy as a whole and Ethera Grave specifically, including how my process has changed over time, how my vision shifted through […]
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Orbit Panel “Creating Otherworldly Cultures”
For part of Orbit Books’s “How to Write Your First SFF Novel” event series, I was part of a panel covering “Creating Otherworldly Cultures,” joining wonderful science fiction and fantasy authors Ann Leckie, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, and Davinia Evans. If you registered for the event, […]
ESSA
Essa Hansen is a swordswoman and licensed falconer working as a sound designer for Skywalker Sound, with credits such as Big Hero 6, Doctor Strange, and Avengers: Endgame.
